“The Gospel is good news- glad tidings. To whomsoever it is glad tidings and good news, to him it is the gospel. It has come to make troubled consciences peaceful, and wounded hearts whole, and anxious distressed spirits glad. Sinner! does this doctrine of Christ crucified and risen to give repentance and forgiveness, make you […]

While working on a chapter on communion I came across a circular letter written by Richard Furman in 1806. Furman was one of the leading Baptist pastors of the time, serving as pastor of First Baptist Charleston, SC, the first president of the Triennial Convention, and first president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. In […]

Earlier this year I posted on the value of a church asking good questions of pastoral candidates. In the comments Barry Maxwell asked about a list of questions for such a candidate to ask the church. Just today I read a list of good questions for a pastoral candidate to ask from Colin Adams, a […]

My president, David Dockery, has just released his recommended reading list for this fall. He does this on a regular basis recommending new and important books. His recommendation is not of course an endorsement of everything said in these books but an acknowledgement of the importance of the book in current discussions. Recommended Reading List […]

The Princess and Curdie, by George Macdonald (J. B. Lippincott, 1908), hb., 305 pp. Ages 8+ As I have already stated in an earlier post, I think this is an excellent book and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. It will join the ranks of our favorite books (like those by Lewis, French and Bond). I […]

While thumbing through William Lumpkin’s Baptist Confessions of Faith I came across a fascinating point in the confession of faith of one of the Baptist groups in Amsterdam. The document is titled “A Declaration of Faith of English People Remaining at Amsterdam in Holland” and is dated 1611. As this Baptist group summarized the principle […]

Ray Ortlund has recently posted three items that are powerful encouragements in reading the Scriptures- not just today but over the decades. These thoughts have lingered with me, some over several days, challenging me deeply and encouraging me just as deeply. They have made me want to be more diligent, more consistent, more believing and […]

Just this week I received an advanced copy of the inaugural volume of the Africa Bible Commentary series, and this volume is on the Pastoral Epistles! I have not had time to read much of it yet, but I wanted to go ahead and mention this volume to others. The series grew out of work […]

Carl Trueman has another insightful article this time on leadership. Trueman discusses the tendency today to avoid any decision which will cause any offense. This, he argues, is not an option for those in real leadership positions. Pastors are leaders and we ought to know the reality of Trueman’s statements. If we are going to […]

My colleague, Brad Green, sent me this quote from Serge Lancel in his book, St Augustine, on what great books are: ” . . . they are the repositories of irreplaceably personal words which achieve their deepest meaning in the setting of a closely circumscribed area of someone’s life.” (p. 204)